Duncan Smith tries to calm fear over welfare reform

Iain Duncan Smith will defend his overhaul of the welfare system today amid further warnings that his reforms could backfire.

A report by the Social Market Foundation (SMF), an independent think-tank, is warning that the Work and Pensions Secretary’s plan to combine welfare payments into a single “universal credit” could cause hardship for families on the lowest incomes.

Sir Jeremy Heywood, the Cabinet Secretary, is among those understood to be nervous about the plan, along with some Treasury officials who opposed it at the outset and still fear that it will cost yet more money.

A spokesman for Mr Duncan Smith did not dispute claims of objections from Sir Jeremy but would not “comment on hearsay”. The Times understands that Mr Heywood has been pushing…